A Friend in Need
by Vaerin7
Summary: Sasuke is the son of a powerful snow leopard demon, the Demon Lord to be exact.  With his family trying to get him to mate, he drinks a little too much and takes a Kitsune... Naruto.  Will the two best friends survive this sort of attack from one another


A Friend In Need

Konoha is quiet, the night a dark veil of comfort over the village beneath the leaves. Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's second most powerful shinobi and all around surprising guy, is sleeking throughout the forest between Konoha and Shadow, the demon village. He's upset and needs a little time to himself with his own kind, searching for the demons of Shadow that frequent the bar known as the Leopard's Spot. He, being Kyuubi's youngest prodigy and kit, is a most sought after prize. At home he's simply an idiot that gets lucky, but here… he's a seductive kitsune that everyone wants to bed. He likes doing his own dirty work at home, but every now and then he also likes to be spoiled by those that try to lure him. Unlike most of his species, he was born male but was sadly submissive thanks to his bloodline limit inherited from Kyuubi herself. Submissive demons, whether male or female, are referred to as female… even rarer are those that can throw a dominant if they're not stronger than the female, and those are alpha females. Naruto happens to be an alpha female, so he's safe from advances of weaker dominants… which they all seem to be weaker than him. Even the royal family of snow leopards has fallen before his power, which is quite a feat since he was totally drunk at the time. he smiles when he reaches the Leopard's Spot, a bar said to be owned by a snow leopard youth themselves that personally sees to it's paperwork and finances at least twice a week. When he opens the door, he immediately feels the presence of a powerful dominant that makes his knees turn to jello. As tempted as he is to turn tail and run, he tries to ignore the feeling and walks over to the bar to order his usual drink.

Uchiha Sasuke is a beautiful male, his sharp features and eyes of black ice giving him an inhuman look of a harsh winter's night. He's a dominant that even dominants submit to, having only to raise a fine brow or give a soft smirk to have them clawing at one another to reach him first. He learned a few months ago that his mother and Nori separated when he was conceived, his mother's best friend being his birthfather… and a powerful demon given the title of Demon Lord. He's a snow leopard on his father's side, but his clan held a dormant panther genetic that activated when he was born. Nori placed a seal on him to make him human, but that seal broke around the time he was told all this. Hatake Kakashi is his father, the youngest of ten snow leopard cubs and the most powerful offspring of the recently retired Demon Lord, the White Fang of Konoha. He faked his suicide to return to Shadow without having to take Kakashi with him, as he needed Kakashi to stay and learn about the humans he would be protecting later in life. once his sensei came clean with him, he handed over control of the bar he had built for Mikoto and Sasuke has been caring for it personally ever since… anything to keep a part of his mother alive. Today, however, now that the books are done and the paperwork is set aside, he's indulging in a bit of his bar's alcohol… like twenty bottles of strong sake. His family is on his tail to get a mate, but whereas he has many lovers in two different villages… he just doesn't like any of them like that. He's in need of some serious help, so naturally his every faithful employees just can't resist the call. His head is nestled within his arms upon the counter of the bar, a shadow demon standing before him. Her name is Shade and her appearance is purely Gothic, but Sasuke likes her more than any other female he's ever laid eyes on. She's got bite and attitude beneath her sulking exterior, making her a dominant that goes beyond alpha females. No, she would be considered a male when it comes to the mating game. A shrill whistle gets his attention, as her gray eyes follow someone through the door.

"Damn, now those are a few tails I would love to chase if they didn't belong to whom I think they do," she murmurs in appreciation. "Fucking hot little kitsune."

"You can be so crude sometimes, you know?" Sasuke smirks.

"Ah, you know you like it," she smirks. "Check her out, other end of the bar sulking by Dante… must've lost her alpha. You should move in on that fine piece of ass, she's vulnerable enough to not care you're a demon of many mates."

"Oh please, Shade," Sasuke scoffs moving his gaze to appease her. "Why the hell would you think I'd be interested in some fucking flirtatious, tramp of… a…"

His eyes widen at the sight of the female at the end of the bar, her hair short and spiky as it glows in the gloom of the place like a halo. Her bottom lip is sticking out just a tad in a signature pout, her glistening blue orbs enough to shame both sea and sky, and her body is the most beautifully attractive body of dips and curves he's ever seen before. His jaw hangs open a bit as he takes her in with widened eyes, her tight clothes in vibrant colors of blue and black, and Shade chuckles as her index finger moves to close his mouth.

"Yes, why would you be attracted to a flirtatious tramp of a kitsune?"

"… It's the alcohol," Sasuke mutters. "I'll be back."

"Wait! You can't just go up to her and fuck her brains out, she's not like the others. She's an alpha female, totally kicked your uncles' asses just last week and she was as tipsy as Dante after a breakup."

Sasuke flinches at that, as Dante takes his breakups very hard and usually drinks until he can't see straight and pukes all over the counter before passing out. He's even tried to hit on Sasuke before and woke up completely unaware of how he managed to get himself beat up… nobody told him either, because he would feel awful about it. Shade and Dante are like family to Sasuke, the both of them treating him much like a sibling but most of the time like their cub.

"So… how do you propose I go about fucking her into the ground?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"Be subtle," she smirks. "Use a bit of charm on her… treat her like she's a treasure, a rare gem… your best friend."

"… I'm not treating her like Naruto, that's just disturbing," Sasuke scoffs.

"Naruto is one of the rarest gems in the world; he's the epitome of treasure. The person, human or demon that manages to land that kit would be the luckiest damn bastard in the world! No one can topple that kit and she's the same way. You want her ass beneath you in bed; you better lay on the charm you reserve for that blonde bombshell!"

"Naruto is not a…"

"Bombshell!" she draws out. "He most certainly is, open your eyes, cub!"

"Well, even so, I don't use any semblance of…"

"You most certainly do!" she accuses. "I've seen it myself."

"Like what?"

"You pay for his lunch every day you guys go out, you never touch him unless he initiates it first, and when you speak to him it's almost like you're trying to persuade him into your bed with a purr in your tone."

"That's a lie!" Sasuke gasps.

"Naru, are you feeling well?" Shade purrs mimicking Sasuke. "Naru-Dobe, what would you like to do today? Naruto, do you want to hang out with me tonight? How about a movie this Friday night, Dobe, just you and me?"

"… Point made," he grudgingly huffs as he begins to feel uncomfortable. "So… just pretend she's Naruto… I can do that, it shouldn't be that difficult."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

The room is cold in the morning, Naruto waking with a shiver as he opens his eyes groggily. He shifts, cringing as pain races throughout his body, and realizes what happened immediately. The shower is running in the bathroom, so he decides to make a quick getaway while the dominant that managed to topple him is busy. He might not have been able to say no last night, but he sure as hell isn't sticking around for them to play with him… Kitsune don't have alphas and he certainly won't be the first of Kyuubi's kits to fall for one he doesn't even like. He carefully sits up and scoots to the end of the bed, wrapping the sheet around his body and standing up. He's not standing for five seconds and his knees buckle, dropping him to the floor with a loud thud. He knows he won't be getting away, as his alpha was rough last night and it was his first time. his bottom lip quivers and his eyes tear up, the little fox whimpering and letting himself cry quietly through his frustration. The water is off now, the door opening a bit before footsteps rush over to his whimpering form. When the hand touches him he shivers and tries to get away, but ends up pressed against a hard chest with strong arms holding him close.

"Hush now," a soft voice whispers. "Don't cry its okay. I'm here, I'll protect you, and you're safe with me. Come on, don't cry."

Naruto calms as he's rocked back and forth, his sobs calming to hiccups and sniffles. His alpha lifts him up and he suddenly finds himself looking into icy black orbs, the familiarity of locking eyes with this person not lost on the distraught kit.

"S… Sasuke?" Naruto whispers.

"Naruto," Sasuke smirks warmly.

*Don't say anything, kittling, * Kyuubi warns. *He's taken you, you belong to him now. You don't want to make this one angry, you know what he's like when he loses it. Tread carefully, kittling. *

He's moving now, being set down and stiffening when he feels water touching him. Sasuke nuzzles his cheek, reassuring him as he sets him deeper within the tub. Afterward, the young Uchiha starts to help Naruto wash up as he checks for wounds and claw marks. There are plenty for him to heal, much to his dismay, and he only now realizes that he was too rough with his little kitsune that he knows has never done such a thing before. Naruto, on the other hand, is hesitant to do anything. His head keeps bobbing closer to Sasuke's shoulder, moving away again quickly after, and this isn't lost on Sasuke. Naruto is looking for comfort after a rough night, something he does occasionally after a particularly tough mission. he uses his free hand to push Naruto's head against his shoulder, letting him cry through the pain he's experiencing just as he would pretend to cuddle closer to him in his sleep on those tough missions.

"I'm sorry I was so rough on you, Naruto," Sasuke says quietly as he finishes his best friend's bath. "I think I had a bit too much to drink last night. It won't happen again, I swear I'm never drinking alcohol from here again."

"You hurt me," Naruto whimpers.

"I know, I didn't mean to," Sasuke sighs. "I'll heal you up, though, okay? I promise you'll feel better in a bit, you just need to rest."

"… I'm hungry," Naruto sighs as his stomach growls.

"I can fix that easily," Sasuke chuckles. "Come on, let's get you dressed and I'll take you downstairs."

"… You're not dressed either," Naruto realizes as his eyes scan his friend's flawless body of moonlit porcelain skin.

"I guess I'm not," Sasuke smirks in humor. "But I can fix that, too."

Downstairs, Shade and Dante are just cleaning up after the night. The bar is usually only open at night, but it doubles as an inn and restaurant during the day so Lila and Trae should be in to take over soon. Shade glances at the stairs when Sasuke makes his way down carrying a pouting blonde, the shadow demon whistling a shrill wolf-whistle at the two and causing Naruto to blush insanely.

"You did it!"

"You told me he was a female," Sasuke points out.

"If I would've told you it was Naruto, you wouldn't have screwed him," she counters.

"Duh, Naruto's my best friend."

"Newsflash, cub," Dante smirks. "Demons normally take their best friends as lovers and mates, their bond is too deep to remain simple friends and those bonds are extremely rare. Demons never take best friends, just friends and allies."

"So you played me," Sasuke frowns.

"I helped you," Shade grins. "Phantom asked us to help you out, so we did. God, he's so sexy. If he was a submissive, or I was like you, I'd so fuck him."

"I don't want to hear that!" Sasuke gawks in shock. "He's my uncle, that's just gross."

"The triplets are doing each other," Dante points out.

"Dante!" Sasuke shouts almost dropping the kit in his arms in the attempt to cover his ears.

"They are. Litter mates tend to get frisky with one another; it's a sort of curse when it comes to big cat species and canines."

"… Are the twins?" Sasuke wonders.

"Hmm… the younger are, but I can't tell if the older ones have screwed each other… They're so aggressive with each other; it's kind of hard to tell."

"Sasuke, I'm hungry," Naruto whines. "You said you'd get me something to eat."

"… Right, hang on."

"I'll get him something," Shade grins walking to the kitchen.

Naruto is sleeping again on the way home from the bar, Sasuke carrying him the whole way without complaint. He feels really guilty for harming Naruto, so he's simply letting him sleep as long as he wants. At the gates, he's tempted to wake him but his demonic instincts demand everyone know exactly whom he belongs to. Sakura is waiting for them in the village, knowing they'll be home today and furious Kakashi said she has to wait for them. once she sees them, panic races through her… it's unusual to see Sasuke carrying Naruto without him being wounded.

"What happened, is he okay?" she asks.

"He's sleeping," Sasuke hisses. "It was sort of my fault, so I felt guilty and let him sleep."

"Oh," she sighs in relief. "Don't scare me like that."

"… Can you keep a secret?" Sasuke wonders.

"Of course," she lies.

"… Last night I slept with Naruto," Sasuke remarks knowing very well she lied. "I'm going to keep him as my mate."

"… Come again?"

"My family wouldn't get off my back about not having a mate, said they'd take me away from Konoha if I didn't get one soon," Sasuke explains in more detail. "So I went and had a few drinks, mistook Naruto for a female, and woke up next to him this morning. So I'm gonna keep him as my mate to appease my family."

"… What did Naruto say about that?"

"He's a submissive, females don't get to choose who their dominant is," Sasuke states in confusion.

"And you're okay with that," Sakura frowns.

"Well… yeah. I was sort of raised to be okay with that, it's in my blood," Sasuke frowns in return. "I'll take good care of him. Besides, he's safest with me."

"He's not a pet, Sasuke."

"I know that, I never said he was."

Naruto wakes up at this part, having heard a bit of what was said, and glances between his two friends. Sasuke carefully sets him down, holding him a moment longer to make certain he'll stand on his own. Sakura is immediately on the blonde, her motherly mode suffocating him without even touching him.

"Do you want to be Sasuke's mate?" she asks.

"Uh… why are you asking me?"

"Look, Naruto, we're both females, right?"

"Well… technically speaking we're not, but speaking on mating terms… then… yeah, we are," Naruto says carefully.

"You can level with me, you know… girl talk," she says. "Just between us females… do you want to be his mate?"

"My choices aren't exactly fabulous, Sakura," Naruto sighs. "To tell you the truth, dominants are in only a few categories… mean, uncaring, breeders, and the rarities. Sasuke, believe it or not, is a rarity… that means he's actually a nice dominant. All in all, I'd have to say he's far better than anything else I could be stuck with."

"… That didn't answer my question."

"Well… I mean…"

"I'd better go see Tsunade," Sasuke sighs before walking off.

"Wow, that was nice of him to leave so you can badmouth him," Sakura grins.

"He's really not that bad," Naruto struggles. "I mean, I might've thought about it on occasion… what it was like to have a dominant and who I would appreciate more as one. I feel really safe with Sasuke and that's usually all a submissive looks for… we just want to be safe with our alphas. No one is stronger than Sasuke, so no one would make me feel safer… I could never be with anyone else."

Sasuke smirks as he listens; happy Naruto sees things his way. He knows, of course, that he can't treat Naruto like his other lovers as he's an alpha female and can easily walk away from him should he feel unsafe. If that should happen, he would've risked his friendship for nothing and it would likely be ruined. He hurries to Tsunade's tower, leaving the two to talk further.

"You look positively miserable," Sakura sighs.

"I know. I'm a kitsune, we're not used to having alphas," Naruto sighs. "I don't really know what to do to make him happy… I'm scared to make him mad; I know what he's like when he's angry."

"I know just what you need… We're going shopping."

"I don't have any money, Sakura," Naruto sighs. "I just went grocery shopping yesterday and paid all my bills."

"Sasuke's your mate, right? Bum some money off him."

"No way, I can't ask him for money!"

"I can!" Sakura grins widely before grabbing Naruto's wrist. "Come on!"

Sasuke is just dropping off a gift to Tsunade, the Hokage asking him to bring her back a few bottles of sake from his bar before he left. She grins evilly upon the unsuspecting bottle of sake before her, rubbing her hands together as she thanks Sasuke over and over again. At that moment, her doors are thrown open and Sakura is dragging behind a protesting Naruto. She stops in front of Sasuke, holding out her hand as his wide-eyed expression turns to one of boredom.

"What's this for?" he asks glancing at her hand pointedly.

"We're going shopping," she grins.

"And? What do you want from me?"

"You're Naruto's mate, right? He doesn't have any money, so fork it over."

"Sakura, I don't need to buy anything," Naruto hisses quietly as he hides behind her.

"Shut up, Naruto! You need to relax, so we're going shopping! it won't kill him to give you some money to spend!"

"But…"

"Here," Sasuke states pulling some money from his wallet. "Have fun."

"… Uh… you don't have to…"

"Thanks!" Sakura squeals taking the money for the blushing fox. "See you later!"

Naruto is pulled from the room, leaving Tsunade to stare in shock at Sasuke. the youth glances at her a moment, but her expression never changes.

"What?" he finally asks.

"… You just gave Naruto money without question," she states. "You never give anyone money without question."

"He's my mate, I'm supposed to take care of him and indulge him once in awhile… right? I mean, that's how people stay together so long isn't it? Indulging stupid things once in awhile?"

"Yeah, basically… but Naruto?"

"I like him," Sasuke shrugs. "He's the only submissive that's ever really understood me on some level."

"So you decide to all of a sudden mate with him," she says disbelievingly.

"I got drunk last night and mistook him for a girl," he sighs with a slight blush. "When I found out it was him, I felt guilty and could bring myself to hurt him worse than I already did… besides, I need a mate or I'm getting taken to Shadow."

"Guilt and convenience… that sounds more like you," she smirks. "Alright, but don't you dare hurt him or I'll beat you down!"

Sasuke finds Naruto walking the marketplace with Sakura, the little fox holding all the bags as Sakura takes him to yet another store. He smirks and walks over to them, surprised to see Sakura holding up a dress to Naruto's body. He immediately doesn't like this idea, moving to stop what's going on.

*I know he looks feminine, but this is a little much, * he frowns.

"I think you'd look absolutely gorgeous in this," Sakura smiles. "What do you think?"

"I don't know, Sakura," Naruto sighs. "This is my male form, I really don't like to dress like this unless I'm in my female form… and I rarely show off that one. I mean, look where it got me last night. If I was any drunker, I wouldn't have thought to turn back before… uh… you know. If I hadn't, I most likely would've gotten pregnant."

Sasuke freezes at that, staring in shock at the blonde he thought he knew better than himself. He hears Sakura scoff, watching her shuffle through a few more dresses.

"Please, like Sasuke could ever know you have a bloodline limit without you telling him," she laughs. "Can you imagine how shocked he'd be if he knew you actually were a girl last night? I'd love to see the look… on his… face."

She trails off with a sheepish look Sasuke's way, a hot blush spreading along her cheeks as Naruto slowly turns to see Sasuke standing behind him. He looks like he wants to cry, Sasuke can tell be the way his brow furrows and the corner of his lip twitches.

"I don't want to know," he decides. "Just promise you'll tell me before anything… life changing manages to happen."

"… I promise," Naruto sniffs.

"Great. So, Naruto-Dobe, did you have fun?"

"Yeah."

"What did you buy? Anything good?"

"I think so."

"Like what?"

"A bought some clothes and a necklace… and some other stuff."

"We're not done yet, though," Sakura state with a huff before transferring the bags to Sasuke. "You take these and I'll take him… we're going to the hot springs!"

"… That really doesn't sound relaxing to me," Naruto sighs.

"Of course it is."

"But, we won't get to talk anymore if I… wait… you don't mean…"

"Of course I do, let's go!"

"Sakura!"

A hand falls on Sasuke shoulder, startling him a moment before he realizes who it belongs to. Kakashi is smiling down at him, ruffling his hair a moment as his presence causes little silver streaks to scatter throughout the black. When Sasuke is in his demonic form, he has streaks of silver in his hair, as he does when Kakashi is very near him.

"I heard the good news, cub, congratulations," he smiles. "I just hope this isn't something that could turn sour quickly."

"What do you mean?"

"Submissive demons fear their mates, Sasuke-cub. That's why they never try to get away when they don't want to be with them… they're afraid of angering them. Naruto is especially good at pushing your buttons, so he'll be especially careful not to do anything to do so."

"… He was crying this morning, but he had fallen down and was in pain," Sasuke admits. "And he almost cried when I heard Sakura say he was keeping secrets from me."

"He's afraid of you. Your wrath is something even dominants fear and submit to, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the one person you only pin by sheer luck would be just as scared. Besides, Naruto doesn't know what having an alpha is all about. Kyuubi teaches her kitlings that dominants view Kitsune as simple breeding tools, teaching them the best methods of staying away from those trying to lure them. with her bloodline limit, she's had to put up with a lot of asshole demons using her and throwing her away… she didn't want the same for her kits, so she's done everything she could to teach them how to dominate those trying to dominate them."

"I would never hurt Naruto like that," Sasuke frowns. "I mean, I was gonna tell him it was all a mistake, but… I just…"

"You couldn't bring yourself to, could you?"

"No. I spent an hour and a half in the shower trying to think of something to tell him, but all I could think was I should just keep him beside me and let him be happy," Sasuke sighs miserably. "I mean, I have more than one lover, but Naruto… he's never even had a serious relationship."

"There's a reason for that," Kakashi grins. "Having sex brings out his kitsune instincts he's buried deep within himself, so he steers clear of that particular lure. He won't like you having other mates, though, so he'll likely be rather accommodating with the mention of it. That's one reason why no one from our family has ever had a kitsune lover… they're very easily jealous and think they should be all their mate needs. It's their vanity; you know… you should only have eyes for them and all."

"I should drop these off at Naruto's apartment," Sasuke sighs.

"Take them home, he'll want to stay close to you now."

"… Are you sure?"

"Positive… just don't let him know you're assuming that, or he won't stay," Kakashi points out. "Lead him on for a bit, play with the idea but let him decide to stay."

That evening, Sasuke is snoozing on his couch as he waits for Naruto. A knock at his door startles him awake and he rubs the sleep from his eyes, yawning as he ambles to the door. Naruto is standing on the other side shyly, reminding Sasuke of Hinata when she had a crush on his mate. He smirks at the blonde, Naruto blushing terribly dispite of himself.

"Did you lose your key?" he wonders.

"… No," Naruto says quietly. "I just… I didn't think I should… it didn't feel right to just walk in."

"Come for your stuff?"

"What?"

"I didn't think you'd want to stay with me, so I didn't unpack your stuff," Sasuke says looking around for the bags. "I think they're all here. I mean, you can stay if you want, I have no problem with that… but I'm not gonna make you if you don't want to."

"… How will we have sex if I don't stay with you?" Naruto asks.

"… I wasn't certain you'd want to go down that particular path again," Sasuke says uncertainly with a flash of guilt in his onyx eyes. "I mean… I hurt you pretty bad last time."

"You won't do it again, you promised," Naruto says trustingly.

"… Why don't you come in and sit down?"

"Okay."

Naruto sits on the couch, but Sasuke sits in his chair and watches the confused kit. Finally, he decides to bring up the question of his other lovers… just to be certain Kakashi is right.

"You know I'm a snow leopard, right?" he asks.

"Yeah," Naruto smirks.

"Snow leopards take more than one mate…"

He flinches, but nothing more.

"… How would you feel if I took another?"

"… It's fine with me," he states with clenched teeth and dangerous eyes.

"Okay, I won't," Sasuke says easily.

"But… I said I didn't care."

"You lied," Sasuke shrugs uncaringly. "Don't forget, I can read you better than anyone. By the way, you don't have to afraid of me. I would never harm you, Naruto-Dobe, not for any reason. You're my best friend, I care about you, and as such I'd appreciate it if you didn't lie to me simply to make me happy… you already make me happy."

"… Sasuke," Naruto smiles sweetly.

"And don't ever tell anyone I told you that," Sasuke frowns. "I don't need everyone saying how cute and romantic I am, I have a reputation to uphold as being an uncaring asshole."

"Okay, my alpha," Naruto chuckles.

"Let's get ready for bed… you ate right?"

"Yeah, Sakura took me to like five different restaurants to try their deserts," Naruto grins. "They were really good, you should come with us sometime… but, you don't like sweets."

"I'm sure they have other things besides sweets," Sasuke smiles indulgingly. "Come on, let's go to bed."

When they reach the room, Naruto in leaning against Sasuke's back with his arms around his stomach. Sasuke doesn't mind, as he's endured as much from his fan girls in both Konoha and Shadow. When the blonde licks his neck, however, his body is already taking off without him. This time, though, he's sober and he's careful to take his time with his fox. Showing him more care than any lover he's ever had, and thoroughly enjoying their coupling. He notes the way Naruto likes him to move, the spots that are most sensitive, and the uncanny resemblance his mate has with a female's body. He moans as he thrusts deep and hard, drawing them both closer to the edge, and finally plants his seed into Naruto's core once the fox comes and his walls clamp around him like a vise. They're asleep within the other's arms in no time, snoozing quietly as Sasuke grips Naruto close to him and the blonde smiles safely within his embrace.

Late into the night, Naruto is awoken by a sound outside the room. He glances around, his ears searching for that sound once more. A scratch at the window startles him and he burrows closer to Sasuke, who wakes from the movement and immediately catches the scent of a demon. He growls, holding Naruto close and glaring at the bedroom window.

"Stay here," he says quietly. "I'll handle this."

"But, Sasuke…"

"Trust me."

Naruto nods and Sasuke heads over to the window after pulling on some boxers, leaving the blonde coated in shadow enough to hide him. Naruto is still as the window is opened and a wind demon hops down into the bedroom, the demon wearing the shinobi garb of a messenger from Shadow.

"Young Lord," he bows. "I bring word from your aunts and uncles; they wish for you to visit for the weekend… they want you to leave tonight. Word has already reached your Hokage and she wishes you luck in your travels."

"I'm not some pup to order about," Sasuke growls. "I'll leave tomorrow morning and no sooner."

"… Will you be coming alone?" he asks glancing around the room.

He catches clothes on the floor that aren't Sasuke's, the scent of a female, and a few shopping bags Naruto dropped by the door that contained his clothes. All in all, he knows someone else is in the room… he just can't find them. So either she's in another room, or Sasuke is hiding her presence with one of his many tricks.

"No, I'll be bring my shadow," Sasuke remarks sarcastically.

"Who is she? Is she hot?"

"Get out before I throw you out… with a few less limbs," Sasuke snarls threateningly.

The demon immediately takes that as his leave, heading back to relay his findings to the snow leopard clan. They'll be so excited their promiscuous little cub has finally found someone he likes… hopefully they'll be having cubs of their own soon so he can stop dealing with their cranky young snow leopard as per their deal. The deal was Blizzard's and, when he first took the job on it, he didn't realize the cub was beautiful enough to cheat out of cubs to avoid losing… he'd never regretted anything in his life before that deal, as he's never dealt with panther tempered snow leopards before. How he wished someone would've warned him like they did all the others that applied for the job!

Naruto waits for Sasuke to return to bed before questioning him on what's going on, but he turns away from the blonde as though he were simply another of his lovers. The blonde fox frowns, grabbing his pillow before beating Sasuke upside the head with it.

"Hey, what's that for?" Sasuke hisses.

"Don't treat me like that!" Naruto snaps.

"Like what?"

"Like another of your many conquests! I'm better than that, I won't have it!"

"All right, all right," he huffs. "What do you want?"

"Are we going to see your family tomorrow?"

"I'm going," Sasuke frowns. "They'd never let me get out of it… they'd kidnap me if need be. You don't have to go, though; I won't force you to suffer with me."

"But… I want to go," Naruto pouts. "Aren't I important enough to meet your family?"

"Of course you are, Dobe, you're my mate," Sasuke frowns. "Stop worrying so much, I can handle it myself… you really don't want to meet them."

"Why not?"

"They're tail chasers," Sasuke yawns lying back down to go to sleep. "I do believe you've encountered a couple of my uncles once before, actually."

"Well… I'm going with you," Naruto decides in determination.

"Whatever," Sasuke states pulling him down. "Go to sleep, Naruto-Dobe."

The morning brings a complete state of shock to Naruto, who's woken by the scent of three infuriated older demons. He's happily snoozing against his alpha's side one minute, and the next he's dropped to the floor when three angry dominants pounce on Sasuke. The young snow leopard gives a muffled grunt and hiss, Naruto watching dazedly as two male demons and one female demon… all of which look oddly similar to Kakashi, by the way… wrestle Sasuke into a submissive pin. The sheets are wrapped around Naruto, who's lost as to what to do while sitting on the floor with wide eyes, so Sasuke is quite bare beneath the three that really don't seem to mind.

"Get off me!" Sasuke shouts baring fangs. "Get off! I'll beat the three of you down once I get loose, I swear I will!"

"Oh please, you and what army?" the female scoffs in humor.

"Really, cub, you'd think you'd know that's not an option by now," the older male chuckles.

"… Sasuke-Teme?" Naruto asks meekly.

"Awe, he's so cute!" the female grins.

"I'll say," the younger male leers. "Is he without mate?"

"He's mine, don't touch him!" Sasuke snarls trying to claw the younger male.

"Whoa, possessive much?"

"Grab the runt," the older male directs. "I'll get the submissive… the others are waiting."

"Don't touch him!" Sasuke snarls in fury as his eyes bleed crimson and his struggles are renewed. "Don't you dare touch him, he belongs to me! He's mine!"

"Yeah, yeah, we got it already. Geez, what a possessive little brat," the female mutters.

"Come on, Blizzard, let's get the runt home," the younger male that looks her twin remarks.

"Good idea, Gale."

"Just waiting on you now, Torrent," Gale smirks as he helps Blizzard hold Sasuke down.

The older male with slate tinted white hair and gray-blue eyes reaches for Naruto, the little fox's eyes growing wider as the scent of his fear fills the room, Sasuke trying all the harder to get to him as the two pinning him to the bed double their efforts to hold him down. The only thought going through Naruto's head is the fact that his alpha will be pissed if this demon touches him, so he does the only thing he can think of at the moment.

"No!" he screams as a rush of wind throws the demon back.

"Oh, he's a feisty one," Gale grins widely.

"Sasuke, tell your mate its okay for your Uncle Torrent to touch him," Blizzard states. "He isn't going to harm him; he just doesn't want to leave him alone here… What if another dominant comes to claim him while you're gone?"

"… Its okay, Dobe," Sasuke sighs in defeat. "My family is just kidnapping us… Apparently, I wasn't moving fast enough for them."

"… Okay… If you say so, my alpha," Naruto mumbles.

Torrent picks Naruto up, dodging the nip directed at his hand, and the group vanishes in a cloud of snow. The end up at the snow leopard compound soon after, Sasuke wrapped up in the sheet with Naruto now that they've been released. His arms are around his fox's waist, refusing to let him go with a glare in Gale's direction. In the light of the room they're in, Naruto can finally see the three a bit better.

"Hey, I remember you," he points innocently at Gale. "I kicked your ass last month at the Leopard's Spot… Sasuke's demon bar."

"… Yeah, that was me," Gale blushes with a frown.

"You tried to get me drunk so you could bed me," Naruto continues as Sasuke lets loose a growl.

"I didn't know you were mated to my nephew, or I would never have tried," he says honestly.

"I wasn't," Naruto admits. "At least… I don't think I was. The possessive Teme might've thought differently that me."

"No, I had absolutely no intention of bedding you at the time," Sasuke says. "Although, I have to admit… your female form had me hotter than any female I've ever seen in my life! I swear, just a glance could put a demon into heat."

"… Thanks, Sasuke, I really needed to hear that," Naruto deadpans.

"Well, you know where your room is, cub," Blizzard states. "Take your mate and keep him entertained for a bit."

"Gladly. Come on, Naruto."

Once they're inside Sasuke's room and the door is secured, Naruto takes this opportunity to get some answers from his best friend. He doesn't mind the possessive streak that happens to be a mile wide in every direction within Sasuke, nor does he mind the mind-blowing sex… but something's been bothering him.

"What do you want from me?" Naruto wonders. "I mean… if you would've just asked me to be your mate I would've said yes. Why would you just decide to keep me after sleeping with me one time?"

"… I didn't want to hurt you," Sasuke sighs sitting on the bed. "Besides, you understand me better than anyone and we're good together… most of the time. As for what I want… I'm gonna be straight with you…"

"Yeah?"

"I needed a mate to stay in Konoha, so I took you. I also need to start having cubs, or my family will think the humans have stunted my growth. Honestly, I'm gonna live forever and they're pushing me to have kids already… they're as bad as the elders in Konoha!"

"… You're gonna get me pregnant?" Naruto asks quietly.

"Eventually, I hope."

"… But… what if I don't want to get pregnant?"

"Can you think of another way for me to have kids with you? Because if you can, we can skip the pregnancy," Sasuke scoffs.

"So I once again have no say in the matter," Naruto growls a bit angry.

"Don't do this, Naruto," Sasuke sighs. "Why do you get so pissed whenever I decide something? I mean… I'm the dominant, it shouldn't matter if I think about our future without letting you in on it."

"What if I can't have kids?"

"Then that would be a problem for me."

"Would you let me go?"

"Absolutely not," Sasuke remarks easily. "Now, come here so I can entertain you."

"I'd be entertained if I could kick your ass like I did your uncles," Naruto growls. "You've pissed me off as badly as them, but they didn't succeed in bedding me like you did."

"I'm just gifted," Sasuke smirks. "Come here."

"No," Naruto glares. "I'm gonna find something to wear and go outside."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Sasuke states. "Besides, I don't keep clothes here… I usually bring a bag from home when I stay over."

Naruto pouts and walks over to Sasuke, knowing he'll eventually get his way anyhow. The young Uchiha grins in triumph, pinning Naruto beneath him and biting his neck and shoulder junction as he thrusts into him. Naruto responds well to him, his alpha knowing exactly what to do to bring him over the edge with ease. It isn't long before the blonde is slumbering at his side and he's grinning in satisfaction. He's heard the rumors about Naruto having Kyuubi's ability to give birth in any form, every demon has, and his seed is especially potent on this day of heat… he'll have the blonde knocked up very soon, whether he likes it or not.

He wakes to Naruto throwing up in the bathroom, grinning to himself before collecting his emotions and heading toward his best friend. The blonde is very sick, he can tell by the green tinge to his face, but it isn't the type of sick he's hoping for. He's beside him immediately, rubbing his back in worry as Naruto throws up again.

"What's wrong, are you okay?"

"That's a stupid question to ask!" he snaps. "Of course I'm not okay! I'm pregnant, I've caught some sort of sickness, and I've been throwing up for an hour!"

*Well, at least he's pregnant, * Sasuke muses before returning to his mate. "Stay here, I'm gonna get Uncle Torrent."

"Where the hell am I gonna go!" Naruto growls.

Torrent is followed by Rain and Weather, his twin sisters, and they're on Naruto at once. They look worried and Sasuke is beginning to wonder how serious this is, panic taking hold when Torrent orders his younger sisters to take the blonde to the hospital wing. He follows, picking up the rest of his family down the way… Phantom and Kakashi at the library, Blizzard and Gale near the training grounds, Kytes passing in the hall, and Ariel and Gust at their bedroom. Naruto is settled on a cot, the triplets hovering over him as the others sit with Sasuke nearby.

"This is bad," Rain frowns. "This must be his first litter… his body isn't used to this yet."

"Oh my god, the cub has a dead aura," Weather gasps. "Is it growing? Is it moving? Could it be dead already? Torrent, please tell me something!"

"It's hard to say… it isn't moving, that much I know, but I think it might be growing at a rapid rate. His body can't handle it, it's rejecting the cub."

"If we don't figure this out now, we might lose one or the other… or both," Rain frowns sadly.

Sasuke is pale, his eyes watery at the thought of what he's done to his mate. Kakashi notices this and pulls his cub close to himself, petting his hair gently and whispering assurances to him. Kytes is quiet a moment, but eventually speaks up.

"Can't Kyuubi help?" he asks. "I mean… it's her cub and he has her abilities, so she should know what to do."

"There's no time, we need to do something now."

Naruto is slowly closing his eyes, tired after so much happening all at once, and Sasuke starts yelling his name. It sounds so far away, his alpha's voice, but it's still as beautiful and seductive as ever. A small smile touches his lips at the thought, his mind blanking out just a moment before he hears a small voice in his head.

*Mommy, * the little meek voice states. *Come back. *

Naruto is startled awake, the room still and mostly empty. He wonders how long he's been asleep, slowly getting up from the cot and searching for his alpha. Sasuke is in the library, his eyes rimmed with red from crying and his skin more pale than usual. Naruto stops upon hearing Kakashi with him, listening in on the conversation carried between the two.

"It's not your fault," Kakashi sighs.

"Yes, it is. He told me, he said he didn't want cubs… I didn't listen," Sasuke whispers hanging his head. "I never listen… I just thought, since I'm the dominant it's my choice to make. I didn't think it could hurt him, but now I'm gonna lose him. I would give anything to do it over again, to make the right choice instead of endangering him like I did. I love him so much, daddy. Why couldn't I see that before all this, why did it take losing him to figure it out?"

"You haven't lost him yet, cub," Kakashi says calmly.

"He's been in a coma for four days with no sign of waking," Sasuke scoffs humorlessly. "And if he somehow manages to wake up, I doubt he's gonna want to stay with me… Hell, I hope he's smart enough to get away before I do something stupid again."

"Don't speak like that, we all make mistakes," Kakashi sighs. "Even I've lost a mate or two in my day. Controlling your heat is difficult if you're not a kitsune, ignoring it drives our kind crazy. There's nothing you could've done that would've made things go better for Naruto, so stop beating yourself up over this. He's a strong demon, he'll be fine. Just give him some time."

"… Sasuke-Teme?" Naruto says quietly from the doorway.

"N… Naruto," Sasuke whispers in a mixture of surprise and happiness. "You're awake! Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," Naruto says uncertainly.

"You shouldn't be out of bed, you could hurt yourself," Sasuke says hurriedly. "Come on; let's get you back to the hospital wing."

"No, Sasuke, I'm fine… really," Naruto smiles softly. "I'm glad to see you're trying, Teme, but don't try so hard. I'm not mad at you, you know."

"You should be, you should be furious with me," Sasuke states with a glare. "I… I can't be your alpha anymore, Naruto."

"Don't play with me like that," Naruto glares back. "I did not sleep with you and get knocked up with your cub just so you could have second thoughts! You're not leaving me and I'm not leaving you, period!"

"Naruto…"

"Period!" he snaps. "Now, give me a kiss and tell me you're sorry for thinking such a stupid thing!"

"But…"

"Now!"

Sasuke sighs and leans forward to kiss his submissive, the little fox grinning happily at the attention. Kakashi smiles, bereft of his mask now, realizing who's going to be wearing the pants in the family… or at least who has who wrapped around their little finger.

"I'm sorry for thinking such a stupid thing," Sasuke sighs.

"Good, I forgive you," Naruto smirks. "Now… tell me you love me and I'm the only submissive for you."

"Don't push it," Sasuke frowns.

"I'm carrying your cub! Tell me!" Naruto growls going from happy to angry in zero point two seconds flat.

"… I love you," Sasuke growls.

"And?"

"… You're the only submissive for me."

"Not that that sounded even remotely convincing," Naruto frowns. "I love you, too, my alpha… note I said _my_ alpha, meaning you're off limits to anyone else."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Sasuke huffs.

"I'm starving, let's eat."

The next couple days pass easily for everyone, the family relieved that Naruto pulled through okay. He's adopted his female form to make the upcoming labor easier for himself, his form never getting larger even though he's pregnant and Sasuke finding it rather irresistible. He's quite upset when he finds he's not allowed to touch his mate until the baby's born, however, resulting in him sitting in the library and sulking for the majority of the day. The day the baby's born is the greatest day of his life, though not the highlight of Naruto's. After hours of labor, trying to kill Sasuke, and cursing his very existence using every colorful word he knows… Naruto manages to push out a tiny little boy with big onyx eyes and a tuft of grayish white hair. He's a little shadow snow leopard with a dead aura to match his father's, obviously born to work with the dead and darkness surrounding him just like Sasuke. He's quiet and doesn't move around a lot, telling Naruto he's going to be too much like his father for his liking.

"Let's name him Neko," Naruto smiles fondly.

"Sounds great," Sasuke grins happily.

"He's going to be like you," Naruto says a bit disappointed.

"… Perhaps we could another and it'll be like you," he almost asks hopefully.

"… How could I say no to a friend in need?" Naruto smirks.

Sasuke grins widely, cradling his newborn cub while Naruto falls asleep from exhaustion. The young Uchiha has never felt so fulfilled in his life, almost crying in his happiness. Indeed, his mate could never say no to a friend in need… and Sasuke can think of many things to be in need of. More cubs are second on his list… practicing making them is the first.


End file.
